MAYBIN HEADED BACK TO DL

The center fielder suffered a tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Sunday while diving for a ball at Coors Field in Denver.

He will miss six to 10 weeks.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Maybin. “It’s part of the game. It’s the way I play.”

Maybin suffered the injury in his fourth game back from the disabled list. He had missed 45 games with an impingement and inflammation in his right wrist.

The Padres now face the decision of how to replace Maybin.

The only healthy outfielders on the 40-man roster not already with the Padres are Jaff Decker (who is hitting .240 with five homers and 20 RBIs with Triple-A Tucson) and Yeison Asencio, who was recently promoted from Single-A Lake Elsinore to Double-A San Antonio.

Maybin is the third starter lost to an injury during the last week.

Rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko went on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a right groin strain that was also suffered Sunday in Denver. First baseman Yonder Alonso has been out since May 31 with a non-displaced fracture of the third metacarpal bone in his right hand. He is expected to miss another three weeks.

Logan Forsythe was activated from the 60-day disabled list (plantar fasciitis) to take over at second. Kyle Blanks has been starting at first.

Vincent returns

Right-handed reliever Nick Vincent was recalled from Tucson on Tuesday with right-hander Burch Smith returning to the T-Padres.

Tuesday was the first day Vincent could be recalled. He was optioned to Tucson on June 1, the day after throwing three shutout innings in the Padres’ 17-inning win over Toronto on May 31.

“The same thing happened to me last year. I understand how it works,” Vincent said.

Vincent returned to Tucson the same day that a large group of family and friends from his native Ramona came into San Diego to see Vincent.

Notable

Ever wonder why Blanks wears No. 88?

“I was tired of my number being taken by veterans,” the Padres outfielder-first baseman recently explained.

His original number with the Padres was 22. That was lost to second baseman David Eckstein in 2009. Then he went to No. 8. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba claimed that in 2010.

“I’m pretty sure no one wants 88,” Blanks said.

• Right-hander Tyson Ross took live batting practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering a subluxation (partial and temporary dislocation) of his left shoulder while hitting on April 20 at Dodger Stadium.